World Steel Production Report

ISSB Monthly World Steel Production Review

WORLD STEEL REVIEW, December 2013

Crude steel production in the 65 countries reporting to the World Steel Association totalled 134 million tonnes in October, 6.6% up on the October 2012 total. The ten months total was 1321 million tonnes, just 3.2% higher than the same period last year. However, excluding China, the monthly total rose by only 4.3%, while the year to date total actually fell by 1.3%.

Steel production in the 27 member countries of the European Union increased by 4% in October to 14.7 million tonnes; however, the ten months total was down by 3.4% to 138 million tonnes. German production actually rose by 1.9% in October, bringing the ten months total down 1.7% to 35.5 million tonnes. Production in Italy, however, decreased by 10.1% in October, while the year to date total fell by 13.7% to 20 million tonnes. French production fell by 1.8% in October, and the ten months total decreased by 1.3% to 13.2 million tonnes. Spanish steel production jumped by 24% in the month, but only rose by 0.2% in the year to date to 11.8 million tonnes. UK monthly steel production was 18% higher, while the year to date total was 23.2% up at 9.9 million tonnes. The ten months total for Poland fell 7.6% to 6.7 million tonnes, while the Austrian ten months total rose by 6% to 6.6 million tonnes.

European car registrations published by ACEA showed an increase of 4.6% in October, while the ten months total was down by 3.1%. The largest market, Germany, showed an increase in registrations in the month of 2.3%, while the year to date total was down by 5.2% at 2.5 million cars. In the United Kingdom, October's total was 4% up, bringing the year to date total up by 10.2% to 1.95 million cars. In France registrations increased by 2.6% in October, but were down by 7.4% to 1.48 million cars in the year to date. Italy's monthly registrations, however, fell by 5.6%, bringing the year to date total down by 8% to 1.1 million cars. In Spain, on the other hand, registrations jumped by 34% in the month, and were 1.1% up in the ten months to 607 thousand cars.

In the rest of Europe Turkish steel production was 6.9% higher in October, but was 3.8% lower in the year to date at 28.9 million tonnes. Bosnia's year to date total rose by just 1.2% to 585 thousand tonnes. The Norwegian year to date total, however, was 14.7% down at 491 thousand tonnes.

Among the CIS countries crude steel production in Russia was just 1.5% down in October at 5.7 million tonnes, making the year to date total 2.7% down at 57.6 million tonnes. In the Ukraine October steel production increased by 1.2%, leaving the ten months total flat at 27.6 million tonnes. Kazakhstan's year to date total fell by almost 20% to 2.6 million tonnes, and the Belarus total was down by 14% to 2 million tonnes.

Steel production in the USA rose by 8.7% in October, bringing the year to date total down 2.8% to 72.7 million tonnes. Canadian production fell by 1.7% in October, and by 10.3% in the ten months to 10.2 million tonnes. Mexican steel production increased by 1.7% in the month, while the year to date total was up by 1.3% to 15.2 million tonnes. The Trinidad and Tobago year to date total fell by 2.4% to 513 thousand tonnes. In South America, Brazilian crude steel production decreased by 2.8% in October, bringing the year to date total down by 1.1% to 29 million tonnes compared to last year. Argentinian production in October increased by 15.4%, while the ten months total was down just 0.4% to 4.3 million tonnes. Venezuelan crude steel production, however, increased by 3.1% in the month, while the year to date total was 3.6% higher at 2.1 million tonnes. Chilean production in the ten months declined by 19% to 1.1 million tonnes.

Among Middle Eastern and African countries Iranian steel production increased by 18.2% in the month, and by 5.3% in the ten months to 12.7 million tonnes. In Egypt production was 9.9% up in October and 3.6% up in the year to date to 5.7 million tonnes. South African steel production was 10% up in the month and 2% up in the ten months to 6.1 million tonnes. Saudi Arabia steel production was flat in October, although the year to date total increased by 4.3% to 4.5 million tonnes. Monthly production in the United Arab Emirates increased by 8.8%, while the year to date total rose by 23% to 2.4 million tonnes.

In Asia Chinese steel production increased by 9.2% in October, bringing the ten months total up by 8.3% to 652 million tonnes, 49% of world production. Japanese monthly steel production increased by 7.7% while the year to date total was up just 2% to 92 million tonnes. Indian production, however, only increased by 1.6% in the month, bringing the year to date total up by 2.8% to 66.4 million tonnes. South Korean steel production rose by 5.2% in October, bringing the ten months total to 54.6 million tonnes, a decrease of 5.4%. Taiwanese steel production, on the other hand, was estimated to be 2% up in October, and 6.9% higher in the year to date at 18.4 million tonnes.

South Korean exports of steel in October rose to their highest level in 2013 at nearly 2.6 million tonnes, some 16% above the September total. The increase was spread across a number of products with hot rolled coil being the largest export at 555 thousand tonnes, 20% up on September, followed by CR at 439 thousand tonnes, 25% up on the September total. Almost 64% of South Korean exports went to other Asian countries in October with China being the largest single recipient at 401 thousand tonnes. Japan was the next largest market at 355 thousand tonnes. The USA took 309 thousand tonnes.

Indian steel exports in August reached 856 thousand tonnes which was 17% higher than the August 2012 total, but still 23% less than the peak month of March 2013. India's largest export in August was hot rolled coil at 242 thousand tonnes, 28% of the total, followed by zinc coated sheet and strip at 153 thousand tonnes, 18% of the total. Other Asian countries took 30% of India's exports in August with the Middle East taking 24%. India's largest market was the United Arab Emirates followed by the USA.